Visa chaos: 6,000 student revocations, $100k H‑1B fee
Reports say over 6,000 student visas were revoked, costing universities about $1.1 billion in revenue and causing a 17% drop in new international enrollment — and the H‑1B process now faces a proposed $100,000 application fee that’s already driven down filings reported and reported. The combined policy shifts are prompting talent mobility reassessments and more students to consider non‑US options.
The State Department [told CBS News]cbsnews.com that it began the revocation actions earlier this year and made the agency’s tally public in an August 19, 2025 statement. Federal officials attributed roughly 4,000 of the enforcement actions to arrests or convictions for crimes such as assault, DUI and burglary, and listed about 200–300 cases linked to alleged support for terrorism, according to Higher Ed reporting. highereddive.com NAFSA, the association for international educators, [logged]nafsa.org more than 800 individual reports of visa revocations, SEVIS terminations or detentions by April 10, 2025, as universities scrambled to track student records. The H‑1B overhaul was issued by presidential Proclamation on Sept. 19, 2025 and USCIS [guidance says]uscis.gov a large surcharge must accompany new H‑1B petitions filed on or after 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Sept. 21, 2025. Early filing data and reporting show a sharp decline in demand: [Newsweek reported]newsweek.com that the administration’s measures cost roughly $20 million in lost revenue, while USCIS statistics reflect a notable drop in registrations year‑over‑year. fragomen.com Several large employers publicly altered hiring plans—some tech and consulting firms paused new sponsorships while others said they would absorb fees for select hires—according to coverage naming companies including TCS, Walmart and Cognizant and individual employer statements. visaverge.com
